Volkswagen Scam

The German transport ministry announced that Volkswagen had rigged emission tests on 2.8 million diesel vehicles in Germany alone. Switzerland temporarily banned the sale of VW diesels in the country.

It sounds like the sinister plot of some straight-to-DVD movie. Since 2009, Volkswagen had been installing elaborate software in "clean diesel" vehicles sold in the US, so that the cars' pollution controls only worked when being tested for emissions. The rest of the time, the vehicles could freely spew hazardous, smog-forming compounds.

Suffice to say, regulators were livid once they caught on. Not only did the EPA order the German firm to fix the affected vehicles but the agency could end up levying fines in $ Billions.
The Department of Justice is also contemplating criminal charges.

The scandal has only widened from there. Volkswagen admitted that some 11 million clean diesel cars sold worldwide contain software to fool regulators, with the vast majority of cars likely to be in Europe.

Volkswagen, in other words, is in deep shit.  The company has halted US sales of its 2015 and 2016 clean diesel vehicles and now has to fix millions of existing cars. It has already set aside $7.3 billion to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, VW's stock price has been plummeting, with the company losing one-third of its market cap in the last week.

If VW can fix it, why didn't just manufacture it appropriately from the start?

Just a thought.

Who am I to Judge?

The Faces

Turned away by security.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2015/sep/23/young-girl-hugs-pope-francis-video

Do unto .....

He was not to shake hands, but stopped to shake Kerry's hand.

The pope's car is the smallest "Fiat 500"

Francis..

Prison...

For Obama, it was part of his campaign to reform the criminal justice system, particularly mandatory sentencing for non-violent offenders. There are an estimated 1,574,700 inmates in state and federal prisons, according to 2013 figures from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

"As a society, we seem to be OK with certain communities just being locked in this cycle,'' Obama says in the special.
"Our kids are being raised around drug crime, they naturally gravitate toward drug crime, they then get involved in the criminal justice system, and it just churns, and everybody thinks that's normal."

Let us fix it.

Reap.....

To wreak havoc on Washington, America needs a leader with real solutions,”  “Political rhetoric is not enough we need a plan of action. Actions speak louder than words. I have a plan to move this country forward. Walker didn't say what he is going to do to the people for the coming eight years.

Walker has made a political career out of targeting labor unions. As governor, he famously authorized legislation that stripped most collective bargaining rights from public-sector workers, sparking protests from labor unions around the country. He dealt another blow to unions this year, when he signed a "right-to-work" law that makes it illegal for unions to require workers to join a union and pay dues even if they benefit from the union contract.

As a presidential candidate, Walker frequently alluded to his success fighting union power, which he cited as proof of his leadership abilities.

His anti Union actions opened the field widely for problems with equal pay act, employees rights, and increased management cost, law suits, discriminations, among other many issues. With that the Republican voters gave him equal to Zero vote, Wreaking havoc on his own campaign.

Just a thought.

Look after each other.

September 2015 is also known as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month which helps promote resources and awareness around the issues of suicide prevention, how you can help others and how to talk about suicide without increasing the risk of harm.

Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among YOUNG PEOPLE. 

More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED

In many cases the individuals, friends and families affected by suicide are left in dark, feeling shame or stigma that prevents talking openly about issues dealing with suicide. So be sensitive to your young. Relax your rules, it is a new era. 

Look after the young.

Just a thought.

The Francis Effect

In the latest evidence of what is sometimes referred to as the “Francis Effect,” Cuban President Raul Castro captured worldwide attention in early May when he met with Pope Francis at the Vatican and said he was considering a return to the Faith.

Better sensitized to the issue than predecessors because of his Latin American roots, the 78-year-old pontiff facilitated a back channel for talks and sent missives to Presidents Raul Castro and Barack Obama at a delicate stage in the secret negotiations in 2014.

That bore fruit with a prisoner swap, the opening of embassies, and an easing of some travel and trade restrictions, although a half-century-old economic embargo is still in place, only removable by the U.S. Congress.

Francis is a popular figure in Cuba and thousands of people lined the streets of Havana as he was driven in, cheering, waving Cuban and Vatican flags, and holding banners with the slogan: “Missionary of mercy, welcome to Cuba!”

Peace to Cuba

Springer Debate...

In 1999, a dysfunctional HP board committee, filled with its own poisoned politics, hired Fiorina with no CEO experience, nor interviews with the full board. Fired in 2005, after six years in office, several leading publications titled her one of the worst technology CEOs of all time. In fact, the stock popped 10% on the news.

She, through a massive, ill-conceived, controversial acquisition of Compaq Computer in 2002, Fiorina did nothing to increase profits over her five-year term, with the S&P 500 showing net income across enterprises concomitantly up 70%. Furthermore, shareholder wealth at HP was sliced 52% under her reign against the S&P, which was down only 15% in that bearish period. She modeled the old joke of “making it up in the volume.”

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, is an American academic, Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management at Yale School of Management and Senior Associate Dean for Executive Programs. His name mentioned in the debate...... He echoed the terrible track that Fiorina had in business and her attempt to FAKE it.

But CNN turned the debate into a  Jerry Springer match to see how much they can influence who is who.

The debate was to inform the Citizens of the United States who will do what? They didn't do that. If it is too difficult for CNN to be informative, leave the debate to someone else.

Just a thought.

Seriously?

In his run for the White House so far, Walker has stumbled on foreign policy and immigration, so he's back to singing a familiar tune in this post-Labor Day push.

"I think it is, in a way, Walker playing his greatest hit, especially after a summer in which he's had difficulty finding a theme and sticking to that theme," 

Walker added, "We took on the big-government union bosses, and we went big and we went bold."
"Union bosses" is a term he used more than a dozen times in his speech.

In reality, Walker took on the little people who were protected by the Union when it comes to negotiating their work load, starting salaries, healthcare and the rest of the important issues. The union guaranteed the employees Equal Pay, fair treatment, no discrimination, etc.  But Walker was out for his own donors and Big businesses.

Enron didn't have union and the $180 Billions disintegrated in a flash.  

Now Waker wants to support the middle class.?   Seriously?  Just a thought.

GROW UP...

I am very disappointed at the CNN Presidential Debate today.

Where are the issues?

Healthcare, Job Creation, Trade, Energy Efficiency, Collage Education, Senior Citizens, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, The 47% who use Gov. Services, The  Military, Fixing the Road, Bridges, Cyber Security, the Deficit, the Country's Debt, the high cost of medication......

What are you going to do for the people of this Country?

It is "he said bad things about ...".... ... Jeb Bush still defending his brother for what he did 16 years ago.

This is not WrestleMania II.      Grow Up CNN
 
JUST A THOUGHT.

MisGuided-2

A Kentucky county clerk who has become a symbol of religious opposition to same-sex marriage  was jailed after defying a federal court order to issue licenses to gay couples.

Kim Davis the Kentucky's anti-gay marriage martyr is at center of nationwide storm over her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples because she sees it as a sin.

She conceived twins in adulterous affair with lover she branded violent.

She was released from jail and greeted by her husband whom she has married twice.

Her first marriage ended in divorce; she has two daughters by Dwain Wallace - but then conceived twins with lover Thomas McIntyre

Their relationship turned stormy - he 'called her a w****' - and she obtained a restraining order because of 'violence' then married Joe Davis 

But that ended in divorce and she returned to her 'violent' lover and married him - before divorcing him after a year and going back to Joe

Two of her weddings have been Godless, with number three conducted by 'universal life church' minister and number four by a judge.   [ mostly byLouise Boyle In Morehead, Kentucky For Dailymail.com ]

So here it is   "first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."   Just a thought. 

Egomaniac...?

At the National Press Club, Bobby Jindal told reporters the following.....
Donald Trump is not a serious candidate. “He’s a narcissist. He’s an egomaniac. The only thing he believes in is himself. "The reality is that I want to say what everybody is thinking about Donald Trump but afraid to say.’’

Commentary:

First: Trump is getting wide support from the Republican audience, and accordingly when you attack Trump, you automatically attack those who put him on top. So it is inappropriate to put down Trump or his supporters.
So if you want to get support from the same audience, better avoid attacking trump at all cost.

Second: We all know who Trump is. But the key point here is crucial. Trump talked about issues that people are concerned about. Healthcare, Immigration, Taxes, Anchor Babies, Economics, Jobs creation, real unemployment, jobs being shipped outside the country, and how to make America great again.       From the others, particularly the politician, we get attacks on Obama, Clinton etc. 

Just tell us who you are, and what are you going to do, then we decide who is Egomaniac.
Just a thought.

Ninety Millions?

Donald Trump, an estimated net worth of $10 billion, but the Republican presidential hopeful is really just like Us. At least, that’s what the business mogul insists in the latest issue of Rolling Stone as he pushes to place the focus on American workers first.

Ninety Four Million Americans forced out of work and are dropped out of the statistics.

Eleven Millions or more illegal immigrants are working, paying no taxes, taking jobs from other American and utilizing the various services available. A path will show that the number is twice as much.

Fifty Million Americans on the verge of poverty, with Healthcare premium for a family of four reaches $15,000, which is out of the reach of this number.

That is half of the population and no Candidate is welling to raise the issue but Trump.

He is talking about building a wall, taking care of the poor, create a terrific healthcare system, the military, the businesses and the jobs among others.

He doesn’t believe politicians are doing enough for citizens,  and the current presidential candidates are running away from the real issue that impacts people's life.

While his conservative opponents are backed by Super PACs, special interest groups, and the incredibly deep pockets of some very wealthy folks, Trump is spending his own money and promising his loyalties to citizens and no one else to gain trust and support for his campaign.

Sure, like most Americans, he’s not nearly as polished as career politicians or have their tact when he gives public speeches. But speaking from his heart is working for him. 

He’s currently leading in the crowded GOP field  despite and he is setting an agenda for all the Candidates to tackle.

Hope the media wouldn't get distracted and let the Candidates off the hook.  Just a thought.

Europe's flood of illegal?

In less than 48 hours, Italy has received an enormous wave of African migrants seeking to cross the Strait of Sicily into Italy, causing a state of emergency for Italian rescuers.
Rescue missions were conducted by the Italian Coast Guard, commercial vessels, as well as the French patrol boat.

Italian police arrested three smugglers, the human traffickers who charge 1,000 euros per person to make the dangerous crossing. Please note the migrants are not only from the middle east, Iraq or Syria.

Estimates of the number of Africans in Libya ready to leave the continent for Europe now reach a million, with Italian rescue forces dramatically underprepared for dealing with an exodus of this magnitude.

Many are fleeing Syria due to the civil war that is initiated and, supported by Saudi, Kuwaiti, Emirates, ... and Turkey's desire to get rid of Assad. Most of these countries are taking no migrants from the region. Many Syrian migrants didn't want to go anywhere, but live in their own country. But with Turkey, Saudis, and US and support of various "moderate oppositions" civilians have no where to go.

We opened the door for a major Non Humane Tragedy of the century.           Just a thought.

Take a chance



 

With the media’s designated front-runners both struggling, the prognosticators who deemed Donald Trump a sideshow are picking their jaws off the floor and forging a new theory.

And can you blame them? Washington has been mired in gridlock for decades. 
In one poll, Trump is leading with 23 percent, and Ben Carson has 18%. 

Jeb, the $100-million candidate who everyone in the media saw as the man to beat,  tied with Marco Rubio at 6 percent, behind Ted Cruz and Scott Walker (who’s faded in recent months) with 8 percent.

While Trump is hitting such hot-button issues as immigration, he also says he wants to raise taxes on wealthy hedge fund managers. People are drawn to him because of his flamboyant personality, his record as a successful developer and because he doesn't have to beg donors for money.

In fact, the Trump phenomenon is reminiscent of Pat Buchanan in1992.
“Both are harsh critics of free trade, both  oppose illegal immigration, both spoke out against the Iraq War and find themselves at odds with the party’s hawks.

They each wear accusations of racism, xenophobia, and hatred as a badge of honor for bravery against the forces of political correctness. And they share a certain style: blunt talk, raised voices, jabbed fingers, and pounded podiums.”
Take a chance on Trump, follow his lead, stimulate his discussion, and see what happens next.

Just a thought.